Intermittently acting fluid valving device



Nov. 30, 1954 G, MPEL-rz `2,695,766

INTERMITTENTLY ACTING FLUID VALVING DEVICE Filed March 3, 1953 y Tifvll l H \S FITTO E N EVS United States Patent O ce t 2695766 i i Patented Nov.` 30, 1954 abutment 12 the valve 1 is closed, it `being understood ,2 695 766 that thisvalvecontains a spring biasing itto its closed posiiion bd b1 i 1 b` l i y T e escri e magnet assem y traves etween mag- ]NTERMITTENLYIQIEG netic armatures 14 and 15 which are respectively spaced N. 1.,.assiguort Bridgeport Bridgeport, Conn., a corporation of Gordon M. Peltz, Montclair,

Brass Company, Connecticut Application March 3, 11953, Serial No. 340,064

1 Claim. `(Cl. 251-13) This invention relates to an intermittently acting iluid valving device for uid underfpressure. is particularly intended for `use with a fluid spray dispensing package of the pressure discharge type. An example of this type of package is disclosed by .the N. O. Loven et al. Patent 2,582,262, issued January 15, 1952.

One of the objects is to provide such an intermittentiyl acting valving device in a form that will use the iiuid pressure stored in the described type of package to actuate the device so as` to effect periodically a? brief 'discharge of the fluid, without this action Lbeing adversely affected by changes in the ambient temperature of the package. Devices of this type have heretofore involved the problem that `the amount of fluid discharged, resulting in the intermittent sprays, has varied in accord with the temperature of the uid charge in the package, be cause this is reflected in differences in the internal pressure of the package. The present invention is intended to overcome this trouble so as to effect a more uniform spray action.

A specific example of a device embodying the invention is disclosed hereinafter with the aid of the accompanyng drawing for the purpose of disclosing the principles, construction and operation of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings Figure l is a front elevation of the specific example and Figure 2 is a vertical cross section taken on the line 2-2 in Figure 1.

Referring to these drawings, the illustrated device includes a fluid valve 1 which may be an automobile tire valve modified so that its valve stem has a tail extension 2. A double acting piston 3 is positioned opposite to and spaced from the valve stem extension 2. Preferably this piston is in the form of a diaphragm having a rigdified working body and a flexible annulus, as is illustrated. This piston has a back 4 causing the piston to advance, to the right in Figure 2, when receiving fluid, and a front 5 causing the piston to retract when receiving uid pressure.

Means are provided for connecting the piston 3 to the valve stem 2 to close the valve after the piston advances a limited distance and to open the valve after the piston retracts a limited distance. Preferably the valve is opened and shut with a snap action.

As shown, the above means includes a connecting rod 6 extending forwardly from the front of the piston 5 towards the valve stem extension 2 and in alignment therewith. Both ends of the stem 2 and rod 6 are surrounded by a tubular permanent magnet 7 having nonmagnetic end plates 8 in which holes 9 are formed large enough to avoid sliding engagement with the stem 2 and rod 6. The end of the rod 6 carries a spring abutment 10 having opposite faces engaged by helical compression springs 11 pressing against the abutment 10 and the opposite end plates in the case of the respective springs. Thus the tubular magnet 7 floats about and on the end of the connecting rod 6 in an elastically displaceable or relatively movable manner.

The valve stem extension 2 is provided with a smaller abutment 12 which is not engaged by the springs 11. The end plates 8 each have inwardly extending collars 13 which may be engaged by the respective adjacent abutments 10 or 12. When sembly moves far enough to the left, which is the retracting direction of the piston 3, the right hand collar 13 engages the abutment 12 and pulls on the valve stem extension 2 so as to open the normally closed tire valve 1. When the right hand collar 13 is free from the the elastically floating magnet as- The device through a uid conduit 20.

apart. When the piston 3 advances the abutment 10 compresses the right hand compression spring 11 untilthis spring stores enoughforce to overcomethe magnetic attraction holding the magnet 7 to the armature 15, the magnet assembly then quickly moving forwardly with the magnet attaching to the right hand armature 14. Thusthe valve 1 is snapped shut after being held open. When the piston 3 retracts the abutment 10 compresses the left hand spring 11 until the force overcomes the attraction between the magnet and the armature 14, whereupon the magnet assembly with a snap action `becornes attached to the armature 15 and, of coursegsnaps open the valve 1 by the right hand collar 13` engaging the abutment 12.

It is to be noted that in between the positions described above the assembly interconnecting the piston and the valve provides a lost-motion action permitting movement of the piston 3 without actuation of the valve.

The back 4 of the piston 3 is enclosed byi a back chamber 16 and a fluid conduit `16 connects this `back chamber 16 to` the source of fluid pressure as represented by the nozzle 17 of a fluid dispensing package 18 of the pressure discharge type. The valve of this package is, of course, maintained open permanently by any suitable means.

A front chamber 19 encloses the front 5 of the piston 3 and this chamber also connects with the nozzle 17 However, this conduit 20 is provided with a flow reducer in the form of a porous plug 21 which reduces the rate of ow through the conduit 20 to a low value as compared to the rate of flow possible through the conduit 16.

Now it is apparent that with both sides of the piston 3 connected to the source of lluid pressure that initially the piston 3 will move to the right because of the pressure in the back chamber 16, and that as the fluid gains access to the front chamber 19 that a condition of equilibrium will be obtained Where the piston 3 is balanced. The front chamber 19 connects through the various openings with the valve 1 which is screwed into an extension 25 of the front chamber 19, and since the valve 1 iS closed the fluid cannot escape from the front chamber 19.

This condition of equilibrium is overcome by a tension spring 22 positioned in the back chamber 16 and applying a constant bias to the piston 3 in a direction biasing this piston in its retracting direction.

Now it can be seen that as the described condition of equilibrium is approached the spring 22 continues to retract the piston 3 with consequent compression of the left hand spring 11 until the force of the spring 22 is sufficient to break the magnet 7 free from the armature 14. Thelost-motion feature permits movement of the piston prior to this time. At this time the magnet 7 snaps over and becomes attached to the: armature 15.

It can be seen that the abutment 10 exerts a positive push in the event it engages the left hand collar 13 so as to effect the described break-away with consequent opening of the valve 1. This opening is effected when the magnet assembly snaps to the left, because the right hand collar 13 engages the abutment 12 attached to the valve stem extension 2.

Now with the valve 1 open the pressure in the back enclosure 16, or in other words the full pressure from the source 17, is available on the back of the piston 3 to advance the latter and force the fluid from the front chamber 19 out through the valve 1. As this action progresses the abutment 10 applies compression to the right hand spring 11 until the valve 1 is snapped shut. After this the pressure again slowly starts to build up in the front chamber 19 by the slow leakage through the porous plug 21.

In this operation the fluid pressure in the front chamber 19 must always be less than that in the back chamber 16 by the amount of the force applied by the spring 22 to retract the piston 3. The ow through the porous plug ow reducer 21, therefore, must always be that caused bythi's pressure difference and will be independent of' the' lambient temperature; rate of the device is substa-ntially constant regardless of temperature.

device ofi this character mustfordinarily nse=some form ofslow leak: or di'ow reducer yand the rate 'of now through such a device varies with the pressure. Tfhe efore, with'fhig'h:` temperatures the -prior art devices-lintermittently discharge withl greater rapidity than at lower temperatures. yIn the fcaseof the present invention this difficulty isy overcome because the rate iofl now is dependent `yonly on the mechanicalispningwhich creates the pressure 'diiierentia'l between the front and Lback of thepiston.

A:As::shown by-Figure l1.jthe devicemay be .housed in a. 4casing 123 'containing' thef Ipaelc'a'ge 'and provided with: a'. discharge. vorifice 2'4 connecting with the 'valve' lr'i'n the :fashion shownr'bly igurelZ.

The magnet assembly :shown has the` advantage that it @eliminates friction, and. possible` consequent .erratic operation. Priorv art Adevices use la'tclies land thelike toxeiect. the intermittent action, andfthese-cause trouble in the case of devices like the present oneiwhli'ch i-'nu'st berl'eft' forflong :periods unattended.

I claim: w

Ant intermittently"actinglruid valving device for luid under pressure, the-'device including a uidwalve, la vdoublesactingrpistonhaving a backcansinglthe piston Ito fad- Vance when receiving fuid `:pressure Aand fa'lfro'nt causing Therefore, the 'discharge' the piston to retract when receiving fluid pressure, means for connecting 'the piston' to `the 'valve to 'close -th'eva1ve after the piston advances a'lirnited distance and to open the valve after the piston retracts a limited distance, a back chamber enclosing the pistons back, iluid conduit means for connecting the back chamber to said source, a front chamber enclosing the pistons front, uid conduit means 'for connecting the front chamber to said source, uid conduit means for connecting the front chamber to the valve, and means for biasing the piston 'to retract, the 'device further including means for reducing 'the uid ow through -theconduit means for connecting the front chamber to said source, to a slower ow rate than the ow rate through the conduit means for connecting lthe back :chamber to said source, said means for connecting the piston to the valve including a plurality of parts forming a lost-motion connection, a magnet, spring means for interconnecting said magnet with the respective parts of the'slost-motion connection, and stat-ionary "armatures positioned near to the ymotion limits of the parts of the lost-motion connection.

lReferencesCited in thevle vof this patent UNITED VSTlfl-ES PATENTS 

